At SCO Summit, PM Modi says ‘some countries’ are terror havens as Pakistan's Sharif looks on

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said some countries use cross-border terrorism and give safe haven to terrorists, and urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation countries to condemn it.

"Terrorism is a threat to regional and global peace. We will have to fight against terrorism...Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies and give shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such countries. SCO countries should condemn it. There should be no double standards on terrorism," Modi said at the SCO Summit, hosted by India, without naming any country.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was also present at the virtual SCO Summit.

"We do not see the SCO as an extended neighbourhood, but rather as an extended family. Security, economic development, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environmental protection are the pillars of our vision for SCO," Modi said.

Leaders of the SCO held an online summit seeking to expand the influence of the Eurasian group by including Iran and opening a path to membership for Belarus.

China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin participated in the virtual summit, which will be Putin’s first appearance at an international event since the short-lived mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group in late June.

Afghanistan situation has had direct impact on us: PM Modi

"The situation in Afghanistan has had a direct impact on the security of all of us (countries). India's concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are the same as most of the SCO Member countries. We have to make united efforts for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan...It is important that the land of Afghanistan is not used to spread unrest in neighbouring nations or promote extremist ideologies," Modi said at the summit.

Formed in 2001 by China and Russia, with former Soviet central Asian states as members and joined later by India and Pakistan, the eight-member SCO is a political and security group that seeks to counter Western influence in Eurasia.